Golf practice device



Feb. 10, 1970 o. D. WINDALL GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 rlll Feb. 10, 1970 o. D. WINDALL Q 3,494,621

GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1970 o. D. WINDALL 3,494,621

GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1967 s Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,494,621 GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Owen D. Windall, 877 Westfield Road, Scotch Plains, NJ. 07076 Filed Dec. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 689,074 Int. Cl. A63b 69/36 U.S. Cl. 273200 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elastic cord extends from a first point of securement on a golf ball to a second sec-urement point on the upper end of a tubular yoke. The cord then extends from the second securement point downwardly around a pulley on a front ground-engaging plate, under a front plate restraining bar which is notched on both sides, upwardly around a pulley on a rear ground-engaging stake and through the lower end of the yoke to a third securement point on the front plate. The lower end of the yoke includes a brake which restrains movement of the yoke toward the front plate. The front plate supports a clutch mechanism which allows the cord to move in one direction in response to the golf ball being struck. A release element permits the clutch to be disengaged by the golfer after the extent of cord stretch has been noted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Applicants U.S. Patent No. 3,122,369, which issued Feb. 25, 1964, is illustrative of the prior art. The device shown in that patent achieved a double vector dampening effect upon the flight of a golf ball. When the ball was struck, an arrangement of two elastic cords dampened both the forward and upward distance of the balls flight. A swivel having two ring-shaped ends connected the first cord with the second cord, and a distance indicator was pulled along the first cord by one of the swivel ends until both forward and upward flight were halted. The cords then returned to their relaxed positions; the distance indicator remained out on the first cord, and the ball was pulled back to the vicinity of the golfer. The distance of the practice shot was read by calculating how far the marker had been pulled along the first cord. The direction of the shot was read by determining where the ball came to rest after relaxation of the cords.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the improved device of the invention described herein, a double vector dampening effect is maximiZed controlled and utilized by means of an elastic cord secured at one end to a golf ball and arranged to cooperate both with a yoke, which engages portions of the cord, and with front and rear stakes to control the flight of the ball and to provide improved indications of flight direction and distance.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved golf practice device for controlling a double vector dampening effect in restricting the flight of a golf ball.

Another object is to provide an improved golf practice device for accurately reading and measuring the direction of, and the distance traversed by, a golf ball in flight.

Another object is to provide an improved golf practice device wherein a front stake is provided with a restraining member to reduce lateral vacillation of a golf ball in restricted flight.

A further object is to provide a golf practice device wherein an elastic cord, and a yoke disposed upon portions of the cord intermediate the ends thereof, provide maximum controlled utilization of the elastic properties in said cord.

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Accordingly, in an improved golf practice device having front and rear stakes fixed in the turf, a pulley is provided in the front stake. A generally elastic cord extends under slight tension between the front and rear stakes, running through the front stake pulley, and terminating in a secured connection to a golf ball. A yoke, with one end slidably engaged upon the portion of the cord preceding the front stake pulley, has its other end affixed to the cord portion between the front stake pulley and the ball. In the front stake, the cord is restrained rearwardly from the front stake pulley. A fork in the restraining means is adapted to catch the cord whenever it is pulled laterally out of axial relationship between the stakes during outward flight of the ball. When the ball is struck, the elastic cord will pull one end of the yoke and cause the other end to ride along a portion of the cord between the stakes. The yoke is provided with a cord engaging brake which retards movement of the yoke back toward the front stake when the cord retracts after the ball has been hit and the energy of the blow has been expended.

A pawl is also provided on the front stake as a oneway clutch mechanism to ride up on the cord as it extends during outward flight of the ball, but to engage the cord within the front stake as soon as the energy of the hit is expended and the cord tends to retract back past the front stake.

Markers along the cord indicate the length which passes the front stake when the ball is hit. Once a reading has been taken, the pawl is tipped to disengage it from the cord in order that the yoke may return to the front stake.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the invention aflixed in place in the turf, including a front stake at the right and a rear stake at the left;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front stake shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view of the front stake taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the front stake shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section view of the yoke taken along line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a section view of the yoke shown in FIG. 5 in an attitude of flight in a direction away from the front stake;

FIG. 7 is a section view of the yoke shown in FIG. 5 in an attitude of withdrawal back toward the front stake;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view showing the attitude of the golf ball and yoke in outward flight from the front stake;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view showing the attitude of the golf ball and yoke when the force of the outward flight of the ball has been expended;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view showing the attitude of the golf ball and yoke when the yoke is at rest adjacent the front stake;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of a modified form of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the front stake shown in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a section view of the front stake taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a front stake 10, a rear stake 12 and a stretchable, elastic cord 14 extending therebetween. A long spike 16, afiixed by means of a swivel mounting bracket 18 to base 20 of the front stake, securely positions the stake on the ground. Similarly, rear stake 12 includes a long, turf-engaging portion 22 to securely position the rear stake on the ground. The front and rear stakes are pushed into the ground so that cord 14 extends therebetween under enough tension to be straight and off the surface of the ground. In practice, it has been found convenient to provide a length of cord which, when relaxed at full length, will space the front and rear stakes approximately fifteen feet apart, but, which, when stretched to operating tension, 'will space the stakes approximately seventeen feet apart.

On the front stake, as seen particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, two upright rails 24 and 26, which diverge from each other in a direction toward the rear stake, are connected by a rod 28 and a forked restraining member 30. Member 30 includes tines 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d, arranged to form pockets therebetween along the sides of member 30 between rails 24 and 26.

In the front stake betwen rails 24 and 26, a post 32 is fixed in base 20 to support a cord guide means such as pulley wheel 34 in a frame 36. Pivotally mounted on the post above frame 36 is a pawl 38 extending forwardly to pulley wheel 34 and extending rear wardly to form a lever arm 38a on the opposite side of post 32. Pawl 38 is positioned to permit cord 14 to run freely over wheel 34 when the wheel rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, but engages the cord upon the wheel to stop all movement when the cord begins to retract back over the wheel in a clockwise direction. Pawl 38 forms, in this man ner, a one-way clutch mechanism.

On rear stake 12 a second cord guide means such as pulley wheel 40 is mounted and adapted to rotate freely in frame 42.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, elastic cord 14 is affixed to the front stake 10 on rod 28. The cord extends in an axial direction between the front and rear stakes, first underneath the forked restraining member 30 which is spaced rearwardly on the front stake 10 from pulley 34, then around pulley wheel 40 on the rear stake, then around pulley wheel 34 on the front stake, terminating in a secured connection 44 to a golf ball 46. A yoke 48 is affixed at one end to the cord 14 intermediate the secured connection 44 and pulley wheel 34 on the front stake. The other end of the yoke is slidably engaged on the elastic cord intermediate the connection of the cord to rod 28 on the front stake and pulley wheel 40 on the rear stake.

The yoke 48, as shown particularly in FIGS. 5-7, includes wide apertures 50a and 50b through which a portion of cord 14 may slide easily. Crosswise of the yoke, pins 52a and 52b (shown in section in FIGS. 5-7) are inserted so that the cord is threaded between them. Said pins are disposed so as to just barely touch the cord without deflecting it, as shown in FIG. 5, when the yoke is in a substantially vertical position. When the upper portion of the yoke is tipped to the left, as shown in FIG. 6, pin 52a becomes substantially spaced apart from the portion of the cord running between the pins. When the upper portion of the yoke is tipped to the right, as shown in FIG. 7, both pins 52a and 52b engage the cord in a tortuous course and thereby provide a frictional brake mecahnism opposing movement of the yoke along the cord.

In the end of the yoke opposite pins 52a and 52b, elastic cord 14 is fastened, as by knots 54a and 54b with an intermediate slack portion 14a. Thus when force is exerted on the cord in the direction of arrow 56 away from the front stake (see FIG. 6), knot 54b will engage one wall of the yoke and knot 54a will be engaged by the opposite wall of the yoke, thereby carrying the yoke away from the front stake. Similarly, when contracting force is exerted in the elastic line in the direction of arrow 58 toward the front stake see FIG. 7), knot 54a will engage one wall of the yoke and knot 54b will be engaged by the opposite wall of the yoke, thereby carrying the yoke toward the front stake.

As shown in FIG. 1, for example, an inelastic portion 14b may be provided in cord 14 between rod 28 and knot 60, the latter being placed a sufficient distance from pulley wheel 40 so as not to interfere 'with movement of the cord around such wheel. Such inelastic portion permits use of a relatively heavyweight material for the yoke to ride upon, thus resisting wear and providing longer life for the cord as a whole. In addition the elastic properties of the cord remain relatively uniform during movement of the yoke over the cord in a direction away from the front stake 10, unaffected by frictional variations or by different degrees of impingement of the yoke on the cord during use.

Also, a heavyweight portion 14c may be provided in cord 14 immediately adjacent connection 44 with the golf ball. In practice it has been foundthat a leather thong is desirable because the portion 14c suffers considerable shock when the ball is struck.

In operation, front stake 10 is fixed in the ground and rear stake 12 spaced apart from it so that elastic cord 14 is stretched under slight tension between the stakes as above described. Golf ball 46 is placed on tee 62, as shown in FIG. 1.

Thereafter the ball is hit by a golf club (not shown), projecting the ball into flight away from the front stake as shown in FIG. 8 by arrows 56a. Cord 14 is stretched by the force of the hit and moves around pulley wheels 40 and 34. The end of the cord opposite the connection to ball 46 is retained by connection of the cord to rod 28 in front stake 10.

Because the cord is fixedly connected to one end of yoke 48, the yoke is pulled forward along with the forward flight of the ball. The yoke is tipped in the manner shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. The portion of cord 14 intermediate rod 28 and rear stake pulley wheel 40, being threaded between pins 52a and 52b, retains yoke 48 to restrict the upward flight of the ball. Apertures 50a and 50b are wide enough, however, to permit varying forward attitudes of the yoke without frictional engagement of the cord upon the body of the yoke. The yoke slides smoothly forward over pin 52b along the portion of cord 14 threaded between the pins. Due to the slack portion 14a of cord 14 within the body of the yoke (see FIGS. 5-7), the length of cord 14 between knot 54b and the ball acts to restrict the outward forces of the ball in cooperation with, but ordinarily not in a straight line with, the portion of cord 14 between knot 54a and pulley wheel 34 on the front stake.

When the outward and upward momentum of the ball is overcome by the elastic properties in cord 14, the cord begins to contract and to move in a direction back toward front stake 10. Thus the cord begins to rotate pulley wheel 34 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3. While, during outward and upward movement of the ball, the pawl 38 simply rests on the cord, the retraction of the cord and beginning of clockwise rotation of the pulley wheel 34 causes engagement of the pawl upon the cord and halts passage thereof and further rotation of the pulley. Thereupon the ball will fall to the ground, as shown in FIG. 9.

The golfer may then appraise the length of cord which passed around pulley wheel 34 during forward flight of the ball, as by reading markers 64 which may be applied to the cord by colored thread, paint, or the like. At the conclusion of such reading, the lever arm 38a of the pawl is depressed, as by holding it down with the heel of a. golf club (not shown), allowing the cord 14 to retract and to withdraw the yoke back to the front stake.

During return of the yoke to the front stake, knot 54:: causes one end of the yoke to tip to the right, as shown in FIG. 7. When the yoke is disposed in such an attitude pins 52a and 52b both engage cord 14 to restrict movement of the yoke, as above described, and permit gentle return of the yoke to the front stake. The ball 46 is thereby brought back smoothly and gently to the front stake, as shown in FIG. 10, without danger of injury to a golfer awaiting return of the ball.

If the ball should be hit somewhat to the left or right of an axis between the front and rear stakes, the elastic properties of the cord, except for the intervention of a restraining bar, such as the forked member 30, would pull the ball laterally back and forth across the axis causing uncontrolled gyrations in the balls flight and making it diflicult for a golfer to determine whether the ball was initially hit off line. By spacing the member 30 rearwardly from the pulley wheel 34, the lateral movement of the cord beneath the member 30 is restrained, and substantial reductions in lateral gyrations are achieved. Lateral movement is thus controlled. The tines 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d of the forked member 30, are varied in length to the left and right of the axis to intercept and hold the cord on the side of the axis first taken by the flight of the ball. Assuming that a golfer aims his shot precisely along the axis, he is readily able to determine whether his practice shot travels actually to the right or left by examining the forked member to see whether, or where, line 14 has been engaged by the tines.

In the modified embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-13, front and rear stakes, 66 and 68, respectively, are provided, but an elastic cord 70 is fastened to rear stake 68 instead of to the front stake as in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 13, the cord 70 from rear stake 68 is threaded through a stay such as staple 72 and then around a pulley 74. From the pulley, cord 70 is aflixed to a yoke 76 and thereafter secured to a golf ball 78. Upright rails 80 and 82 extend rearwardly and divergently from pulley 74 and are joined near their rearwardmost extremities by a brace 84. In this modification, the cord is restrained rearwardly from pulley 74 by the stay 72 as well as by the brace 84 to provide means for controlling lateral flight of the ball after it has been struck.

Front stake 66 also may include a modified form of one-way clutch mechanism formed by anvil 86 against which pawl 88, mounted on pivot 88a and biased by extension spring 90, engages cord 70 when the cord retracts. Thus, when the golf ball 78 is hit, cord 70 may extend and freely pass through stay 72, between anvil 86 and pawl 88, and around pulley 74 to the yoke 76. However, when the outward momentum of the ball is arrested and the cord begins to retract, such retraction will pull the pawl 88 into engagement on the anvil and halt movement of the cord therebetween.

If it should become desirable to adjust the force of extension spring 90 to vary the pressure of the pawl against the anvil, such an adjustment may be made by any well-known means, such as by an adjustment screw 92 mounted in a plate 94. When a desirable operating tension on the spring has been achieved, the cord 70 will be held in place by the one-way clutch as it first begins to retract so that a golfer may read the distance markers 96. Thereafter the force of spring 90 may be overcome by pressing a golf club (not shown) against pintle 98 in pawl 88, thus releasing cord 70 and permitting the yoke 76 to be drawn back to the front stake 66.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A golf practice device comprising front and rear stages adapted to be held in the earth rigidly spaced from each other,

cord guide means on said front stake,

an elastic cord stretched between said stakes from a connection at one end to one of said stakes, said cord extending through said cord guide means and terminating in a secured connection to a golf ball,

a yoke slidably engaged at one end upon a portion of said cord intermediate said stakes, the other end of said yoke being affixed to a second portion of said cord intermediate the golf ball and the cord guide means, and

a restraining bar on said front stake spaced rearwardly from said cord guide means and extending over a portion of said cord intermediate the rear and front stakes.

2. The golf practice device of claim 1 in which the restraining bar on the front stake includes tines, varied in length to the left and right of an axis between said front and rear stakes to intercept and hold the cord on the side of the axis first taken by the flight of the ball.

3. The golf practice device of claim 1 in which said yoke includes a cord engagement brake adjacent the elastic cord portion stretched intermediate the front and rear stakes, said brake being disposed substantially out of engagement with said cord during movement of the yoke away from said front stake, and into engagement upon said cord during movement of the yoke toward said front stake.

4. The golf practice device of claim 1 in which the elastic cord includes an inelastic section bearing the yoke intermediate the front and rear stakes.

5. The golf practice device of claim 1 which includes a one direction clutch disposed in releasable engagement with the cord.

6. The golf practice device of claim 1 in which the front stake includes a pawl disposed in one-direction releasable engagement with the cord adjacent the cord guide means on said stake.

7. The golf practice device of claim 1 which includes a cord guide means on the rear stake, the cord being affixed to the front stake and extending from the front stake successively through said cord guide means on the rear stake and the guide means on the front stake.

8. The golf practice device of claim 1 in which a second cord restraining member is disposed on the front stake over a portion of the cord rearwardly from the cord guide meanson said front stake.

. FOREIGN PATENTS 428,682 5/1935 Great Britain.

GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 73379; 273- 

